INTERIOR - DELEGATES AND GUARD; TUNISIAN DELEGATE; MR. BOUTEFLIKA; NIGERIA; PHILIPPINES; CONGO KINSHASA; CONGO BRAZZAVILLE; IVORY COAST; KUWAIT; SINGAPORE; INDONESIA; GHANA; ETHIOPIA; MA. BOUMEDIENNE ARRIVES; PRESS.




Initials IF/VS/MR/PC



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Background: YESTERDAY (TUESDAY) IN ALGIERS, THE POORER COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD MET TO DRAW UP THEIR BATTLE LINES FOR CONFRONTATION WITH THE RICH NEXT FEBRUARY, AT THE SECOND UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT (UNCTAD). MORE THAN 60 DEVELOPING NATIONS WERE PRESENT FOR THE OPENING SESSION OF THE '77' GROUP, AND OVER THE NEXT FORTNIGHT THEY WILL ESTABLISH THEIR POLICY AND APPROACH TO FEBRUARY'S UNCTAD IN NEW DELHI.

THE DELEGATES ARE DISCUSSING TRADE AND AID IN THE 'THIRD WORLD OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES', UNDER THE CHAIRMANSHIP OF MR. ABDEL BOUTEFLIKA, THE ALGERIAN MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS.

THERE WERE SOME 800 MINISTERS AND DELEGATES AT YESTERDAY'S CONVENTION, HELD IN THE LAVISH PALACE BE CONFERENCES AT CLUB DES PINS JUST OUTSIDE ALGIERS. NO AGENDA HAD BEEN ANNOUNCED AS THE MEETING BEGAN, BUT DISCUSSION PROMISED TO BE ACTIVE ON THE TOPIC OF BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN THE RICH AND THE POOR. TALKS WAITED, HOWEVER, FOR AN INAUGURAL MINUTE'S SILENCE FOR 'PRAYER AND MEDITATION'.

IT WAS THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM. IN HIS OPENING ADDRESS, THE ALGERIAN PRESIDENT M. BOUMEDIENNE, ATTACKED THE INDUSTRIALISED NATIONS, WHICH HE SAID HAD 'TIGHTENED THEIR GRIP ON THE THIRD WORLD TO PILLAGE ITS RICHES'. HE ACCUSED IMPERIALIST POWERS OF PROVOKING AND MAINTAINING WARS, SPECIFICALLY IN VIETNAM, THE MIDDLE EAST, AFRICA AND LATIN AMERICA, IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN THE STATE OF UNDER-DEVELOPMENT.

IN A QUIETER VEIN, HE URGED DEVELOPED COUNTRIES TO DO ALL THEY COULD TO FOSTER THE GROWTH OF THE 'THIRD WORLD' - AS A SIMPLE RESTITUTION OF A 'TINY PART OF THE DEBT INCURRED BY WESTERN COUNTRIES IN THEIR ODIOUS EXPLOITATION THROUGH THE CENTURIES' OF UNDER-DEVELOPED TERRITORIES. BY MEANS OF REGIONAL AGREEMENTS BETWEEN INDUSTRIALISED COUNTRIES, THY HO, HE SAID, 'BECOME A FORM OF OCTOPUS, TIGHTENING THEIR GRIPS ON THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES IN ORDER TO DESPOIL THEM OF THEIR WEALTH'.

THE OUTCOME OF THE TALKS, SAY ECONOMIC COMMENTATORS, IS ALMOST CERTAIN TO BE A DEMAND FOR MORE MONEY FROM THE RICHER NATIONS, AND THEY REGARD THIS PERCENT CONFERENCE AS A TOUCHSTONE FOR EMOTIONS NEXT FEBRUARY.